Continue, Christian!

🙌 Continue, Christian!

📖 Text: John 15:9
🧭 Theme: The Christian is commanded to continue in Christ’s love, living for Christ, and leaning on Christ.
Opening Thought: There are eight things that Jesus said were “mine," and as Christians we should continue in connection with these eight things.

  • My disciples (vs. 8)

  • My love (vs. 9-10)

  • My commandments (vs. 10, 12)

  • My joy (vs. 11)

  • My friends (vs. 14)

  • My name (vs. 16, 21)

  • My saying (vs. 20)

  • My Father (vs. 23-24)

❤️ I. Continue in Christ’s Love (John 15:9–17)

A.    Because he continues to love us (Romans 8:39)

B.    Because of his great love (Eph. 2:4)

C.    Because of his great sacrifice

·       Continuing in Christ’s love requires sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

·       Without the love of Christ, we can do nothing

·       The love of Christ constrains us to continue (2 Cor. 5:14)

D.    We can continue to love Jesus because he calls us friends

·       Do God’s commandments

·       Know what God is doing (1 Cor. 2:14-16)

✅ Application: Christ’s love should inform your daily choices.
📖 Illustration: A soldier carries a photo of his family into battle—not because it protects him, but because it reminds him what he’s fighting for. Carrying God’s word in your heart reminds you what you continue to fight for.
💬 Quote: "He who does not love Christ more than all is not worthy of Him at all." – J.C. Ryle

🛡️ II. Continue Living for Jesus (John 15:18–25)

A.    Consequences: The world will hate you.

B.    Cause: The world has no cause to hate Jesus (vs. 25), but they still hate him for two reasons

·       He exposes their lies (vs. 22) cf. 2 Thess. 2:11-12

·       He exposes their hypocrisy and hardheartedness (vs. 24)

·       The world hates you because you are sincere and love the truth

C.    Claims: You’ll be labeled—fanatic, extremist, cult

·       Peculiar (1 Pet. 2:9)

·       Christian (Acts 11:26)

D.    Cost: Persecution is guaranteed

·       2 Tim. 3:12

·       Matt. 5:10–12

E.    Crown: Bearing fruit leads to eternal reward (James 1:12)

✅Application: Living for Jesus pays eternally; the world only pays temporarily.
📖Illustration: Missionary John Paton buried his wife and child on the mission field. Yet he wrote, “God gave me peace and joy... I would not trade it for all the comforts of the world.”
💬Quote: “Is it worth it?” “Yes. One soul is worth all the scorn of the world.” – Anonymous Missionary

🤲 III. Continue to Lean on Jesus (John 15:26–27)

A. For Comfort – The Spirit helps us (2 Cor. 1:3–4)

B. For Courage – Be strong and speak truth (Josh. 1:9)

For Continuance – He empowers you to go on (John 15:9)

✅ Application: Leaning on Jesus means letting go of everything else.
📖 Illustration: John leaned on Jesus' bosom (John 13:23), not on his own strength. Where you lean determines where you last.
💬 Quote: "Lean hard, Christian, lean wholly on the everlasting arms." – Charles Spurgeon

🏁 Conclusion:

  • ✅ Continue to Love – because He first loved you

  • ✅ Continue to Live – even when mocked or hated

  • ✅ Continue to Lean – because He alone is your strength

📖 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9

💭 Closing Thought:
Failure is not falling down; it’s staying down.
Success is not staying up; it’s getting back up and continuing.
👉 The difference between defeat and victory is whether you quit or continue.

Jeffrey smith